Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to challenge particular decisions made by the official, following the practice currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step arrives only a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine specific situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
